Your decision about whether or not to have non-emergency surgery will be influenced by your expectations and understanding as well as the desires and biases of your surgeon. What patient can resist an enthusiastic surgeon? Apparently, the answer is...
Most medical care today is provided via the brief office visit - one person visits the doctor. Clearly appropriate in some circumstances, this one-to-one model often falls short of meeting patients' real needs - especially patients with multiple...
Attitude cannot cure a chronic illness. But cultivating a positive outlook and learning self-management skills can make it much easier to live with. In "Rx: How to Live Well with Chronic Disease" David S. Sobel, M.D. recommends you learn the skills...
In "Reducing Stress Reduces Heart Disease" David S. Sobel, M.D. reports on a study of patients with heart disease where it was found that relaxation, taming hostility, and helping people change the way they look at life's challenges can reduce their...
Patients and their partners who avoid sexual activity for fear of triggering a recurrent heart attack may needlessly deprive themselves of a rich source of pleasure and satisfaction that contributes greatly to their quality of life. In "Sexual...
f you are like the majority of patients, several weeks after a health evaluation you will probably remember less than half of what the doctor told you. In "Doctors and Patients: Not on the Same Wavelength" David S. Sobel, M.D. presents the reasons...
When it comes to health, the best thing is not to get angry in the first place. Once triggered, however, is it better to argue, shout, and bang your fists - or silently seethe? In "Healthy Anger: Let It Out or Keep It In?" David S. Sobel, M.D...
Imagine the world without pleasure. Life would appear colorless and humorless. Human beings evolved to seek enjoyment to enhance survival. Yet, at nearly every turn pleasure has gotten a bad name. People are almost phobic about having fun. In...
Patients undergoing surgery often experience a loss of control, feeling more like victims than participants. Anxiety, fear of the unknown, fear of pain, dependency, uncertainty, and helplessness are common emotions which can intensify the perception...
More and more women work outside and inside the home. Do the double demands shouldered by working moms pose a threat to their physical health? In "A Woman's Work Is Never Done" David S. Sobel, M.D. sites evidence of the physiological impact of "role...
David S. Sobel MD